Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 2 of 2
Full-Text Articles in Entire DC Network
Plant Responses To Drought In A Semiarid Grassland: An Isotopic Approach, Elizabeth V. Fain
Plant Responses To Drought In A Semiarid Grassland: An Isotopic Approach, Elizabeth V. Fain
Biology ETDs
Dryland ecosystems are facing unprecedented climate extremes as a result of global climate change. Water is the most limiting factor in dryland ecosystems, therefore plants in drylands have developed crucial water-use strategies for drought survival. It is important to understand plant physiological responses to water stress as drylands are projected to experience more frequent, severe droughts in the coming decades. To test how plants respond to drought in a semiarid grassland, we measured δ13C, δ15N, and C/N ratio of common C3 and C4 plants (Bouteloua gracilis, B. eriopoda, Pleuraphis jamesii, Salsola tragus, Machaeranthera pinnatifida, …
Relating Plant Community Structure To Carbon Dynamics In Semiarid Grasslands, Theodore D. Roper
Relating Plant Community Structure To Carbon Dynamics In Semiarid Grasslands, Theodore D. Roper
Biology ETDs
Understanding how fine-scale changes in soil characteristics and plant community composition affect ecosystem functioning is key to predicting how biome shifts will affect regional and global carbon cycling. This is crucial in the dryland biomes of the US Southwest, projected to be one of the regions most affected by climate change. We examined fine-scale drivers of ecosystem function within two biomes – a Chihuahuan Desert grassland and Plains/Chihuahuan Desert ecotone – via long-term vegetation data, micrometeorological data, eddy covariance carbon flux measurements, and soil water and texture, finding that the ecotone site had over 30% higher soil water content, over …